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49ers placed DL Ronald Blair (thumb) on injured reserve.

A versatile defensive end-tackle, Blair suffered a significant thumb injury that will sideline him the first eight games. The 49ers are hoping he can return midseason and give their largely unproven defensive line a boost. Sat, Sep 2, 2017 06:19:00 PM

49ers selected Appalachian State DE Ronald Blair with the No. 142 overall pick of the 2016 NFL draft.

Blair (6'2/284) was one of the best defensive linemen in Sun Belt Conference history, spreading 53.5 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks across 51 starts. He earned Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2015. Blair's Combine performance was less impressive, running 5.15 with a 30-inch vertical and 9-foot-5 broad jump. Blair's athletic limitations may prevent him from becoming a dominant NFL edge rusher, but he offers an intriguing blend of power moves, short-area explosion, and versatility. Rotoworld's Josh Norris has compared Blair to a poor man's Everson Griffen. Sat, Apr 30, 2016 02:07:00 PM

Depth Charts

The injury will not threaten his Week 1 availability, but it is yet another injury for a player who has played 14 games the last two seasons. The 49ers picked up Armstead's fifth-year option in April, but he likely needs a healthy season for them to keep him around at his $9.046 million salary in 2019.

49ers DC Robert Saleh said the coaching staff is working with MLB Reuben Foster to improve his technique.

In addition to off-field concerns, Foster slipped during the 2017 draft because of concerns about his shoulders. Saleh hopes improved technique will help decrease the likelihood of injury. "It’s just trying to teach him how to create extension and space so guys just can’t latch on to him," Saleh said. "It’ll save his shoulders. It’ll save his upper body." Foster will serve a two-game suspension to open the season, but this work will hopefully make those the only games he misses.

Richard Sherman (hamstring) returned to practice on a limited basis Sunday.

Sherman missed the last week of practice, including the team's preseason opener versus Dallas Thursday. Now healthy, the staff will slowly bring him back into the mix during camp. It would still be shocking to see him suit up in the Niners' next preseason game against the Steelers Thursday.

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